Rejected from Scottish nursery - please help!

[PartyRingaRosie]

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My DD has just been rejected from our local nursery (literally a 2 minute walk from home) due to capacity. I called to ask about alternatives and was told the 2 other nurseries in our village are also full. The only option the could offer was a nursery 10 miles away.

I’m really upset and worried about this. It’s not at all practical for us to be driving 10 miles each way before work every morning, and I’m also anxious that if she can’t get into a local nursery now, she may struggle to get into the local primary when the time comes.

Has anyone been in this situation? What did you do? Is there anything I can do to challenge this and push for a place locally?

Hi sorry to hear this.

Yes it's a problem. I live in a small village with one nursery and often the local children don't all get a place. Even when the older siblings are at the attached school as there is no 'catchment' for nursery.

You can keep your little one on the waiting list. One year I didn't get one of mine in (2 older siblings at the attached school and it's literally across the road) and had no local alternatives. She did end up getting a last minute place as someone declined their spot.

Don't give up hope.

A friend said the same thing but I cannot find any information online to back this up. All I can find is articles saying LA have a duty to provide an education but not a duty to provide a place in your catchment area. Could you possibly provide link to a source for info?

I love the way people are saying that 10 miles isn't far.

10 miles four times a day, is 200 miles a week. That's a lot of petrol, and it'll take the OP or her DH an extra hour at each end of the day to travel it.

10 miles where I live would certainly take half an hour to drive, because of the sort of roads we have.

I'm sorry @PartyRingaRosie you're in a very difficult situation.

Yeah especially when it’s ten miles in the opposite direction from your work.

I don’t think there’s anything you can push them on, if they’re full they’re full. You may be entitled to 30 hours funding but that doesn’t mean at specific nurseries.

Can you share the sources saying the local authority have a duty to provide a nursery space for you…?

You are entitled to claim the 30 hours at the relevant age… but that doesn’t mean the local authority is obliged to provide a nursery space for you. Most people will be using the funding at private nurseries.

If you live in the catchment area of the primary you will get a place in Scotland. It's VERY unusual not to (unless you don't apply in time or move there after the intake etc).

Nursery is completely different and the nursery you use doesn't affect the school application.

If everyone applied within the window, doesn’t that just mean that the other kids are closer/ higher up the priority list than you? I am not an expert in Scotland but in England schools have published admissions criteria which shows how places are allocated if there are too many people.

I’d suggest speaking to all of the nurseries to work out what has happened and to see if they run a waiting list. I’d also be accepting the place you have got in the meantime and managing the distance.

You could also ask the nurseries about schools, but again in England it is completely lawful for an authority to offer a place at a school which is not the closest if the closest one is oversubscribed. You should be getting some information from your local authority about this surely?

Hi, I’m not sure if your replies were meant to be helpful, but if it wasn’t already abundantly clear – this is my first time applying for nursery and I honestly have no idea what to expect. I’ve followed the process as advised and still find myself without a place.

My understanding is that the LA provides 30 hours free childcare, and I (perhaps naively) assumed they would also have some sort of duty to ensure there are enough facilities to actually meet that commitment.

Your local authority website will have a document you can download explaining all this. Each authority has a different published document and dates so there is no point in sending you mine but it should be easy to find. If you search 'applying for a primary school place' etc.

No, they aren’t obliged to provide a space.

If you find one, you can claim funding towards it however.

Take the further away place for now - and hope a place comes up somewhere closer. Or - look at childminders.

Sorry Hero watcher. Didn't mean to quote you there ☺️

She’s applying for a nursery place, not a reception place.

They do but unfortunately because there is no catchment it doesn't mean it will be at your nearest nursery. Which I agree is rubbish!

For school it's different. You are entitled to a place at your local in catchment school.

The local authority have an obligation to offer you a nursery placement, which they have.
They are not obligated to offer you your ideal choice - if there are no spaces, there are no spaces. Allocation of spaces are prioritised on a set of criteria which might differ between authorities slightly. Usually, something like this:
1st are all returning nursery children, deferred placements,
2nd eligible 2 year olds, looked after/care experienced children, ASN children,
3rd All new applications for preschool children with siblings in the school,
4th: All new preschool applications.
5th: All ante preschool with siblings in the school. 6th: All ante preschool applications.
7th children residing outwith the local authority.
(Scotland and experience dealing with placements)

If they're full they're full. I have friends having to go fairly long distances tk get a nursery place.

It won't be an issue starting school. You will need to register your child in your catchment school in January then put in a placing request if you want the. To go to a different one.
Schools will accommodate however many P1s are due to start . We've had 2 x p1s, P1 and P1/2 depending our intake.

Funding for childcare/pre-school education is available but the LA is not obliged to provide a space, or a space to suit the days/hours you need, at your preferred setting.

LAs are only required to provide a space at your local catchment school.

Yes where I live you get 30 hours free but it’s up to you to find the nursery who will take your child. For all my kids I put their names down about a year before I needed the place- I then paid full fees for the first year and then claimed the 30 hours free once they kicked in (at that time after the child turned 3).

Honestly OP this isn’t meant to sound patronising but do you have any friends with kids a similar age? Do you go to playgroups etc? Best thing you can do is chat to other people as they will tell you want to do or remind you by saying what they’re doing. Especially people with older kids. If you can’t/ won’t do this then maybe join some kind of online mum group as well.

Oh dear, you've misunderstood.

They're not obliged to find you a place.

Can you find a childminder until a space comes up?

This. It’s optional, school isn’t.

The government hasn’t cut the October intake, it varies by local authority and nursery when a kid can start. We’re in Argyll & Bute, my kids were able to take their funded place the week after they turned 3 as they were in a private nursery. My friends kids had to wait till the start of the next term as she sent hers to a school nursery. I feel your frustration, the best thing you can do is keep her on the waiting list for any local nurseries and accept the place you’ve been given. You could also look at a childminder who uses the funded hours also.

Nursery isn’t “education” as such. Children are not required to be in education until they are 5 and that is school.

I know. That's what I am referring to. I'm just reassuring her that it won't affect her school place.

Push for what? they dont have a vacancy so they cant pull one out of thin air,, i doubt they will go 'we have a strict adult to child ratio but sure what is one more no one will notice' you need to find a place with ehat is availablw

Off topic but have you really got 3 local authority funded nurseries in your small rural village in Scotland? And still no place for you? I'm absolutely stunned!